Is that a Mosin?

Recently, I made the decision to add a large caliber rifle to my collection and after some deliberation and research, chose the .308 as the caliber of choice. The decision was helped when I started to look at the various rifles available that shoot that caliber. One of the originals - the Mosin Nagant 91/30 - a Russian battle rifle that has a long history of solid and reliable performance. 

Here's a picture of the rifle I bought (after clean-up).

The 91/30 is a simple design, bolt-action rifle, with an internal 5-round magazine. It actually shoots a 7.62mm x 54R round, which is the equivalent of the modern .308Win round. There were millions of 91/30's manufactured and it has been used in almost every major battle worldwide. While prices are beginning to head north, the basic 91/30 can still be purchased for under $200. Two drawbacks - 1) the rifle is very heavy (> 8lbs.) and is very long (48"). 

Another deciding factor - cost and availability of ammunition.  There is an abundance of war surplus ammo stored virtually all over Europe and Russia. Much of it was packed in the 1970's and has remained untouched since it went into the storage cans. The good news is that the 7.62x54R cartridge can be purchased for less than $.30/round. In today's crazy ammo market, that's less than most pistol ammo.  And certainly less than .308 ammo.  

This is what the ammo looks like in the "spam" can.   

Each can contains 440 rounds.  You open it like you would a sardine can with the opener (seen at the front right of the crate).

For reference, this is how the 7.62x54R compares to other common calibers:

From left:  .22LR, .380ACP, 9mm, 5.56, and 7.62x54R

I took the Mosin when I went deer hunting this past season. Didn't shoot anything but we did put some holes in a paper target.  At 50 yds. I was putting shots into a 2" circle with iron sights. 

All in all, I'm happy with my decision to buy a Mosin. It's simple, clean looking, and solid. I planned to leave it as I bought it, although I am contemplating adding a scope. 

Then I saw the ProMag Archangel stock for the Mosin Nagant at a gun show. One look and I knew I had to have it.  You can see why. 

The Archangel stock is lighter (polymer), stronger (fiber reinforced); has an adjustable cheek rest and butt pad (pull length), and provides a removable magazine. To finalize the set-up, I added a bipod and a Witt Machine muzzle brake.

The gun now looks very modern, is lighter, and has a full free-floating barrel.  

Can't wait to go hunting with this baby. 

And now...

This is the gun that Anna Built. 

She DID Build That!

Several weeks ago, Anna announced that she wanted to build an AR. I guess we were all a little bit surprised, but when you look at the recent statistics, the overwhelmingly new group of shooters is women. So Anna fits the stats; she has the desire to be sufficiently armed, she knows that an AR is an important part of her arsenal, and she knows that they offer high capacity fire power in an easy to control format.  

So, to build an AR, you need to start with the basics. There are two basic parts of an AR - the lower, and the upper.  This discussion addresses the lower. 

The lower (sometimes called a "stripped lower") consists of the piece that houses the trigger group, the magazine well, the bolt catch and the buffer tube.  In it's "stripped" state it looks like this:

Anna chose the polymer lower manufactured by New Frontier Armory.  It's a little lighter than a standard aluminum lower.  

Out of the box, it looks just like the aluminum version.  More on that later. 




Next step.  Take inventory of the lower parts. You should have 33 parts, including the stock, buffer tube, buffer spring and insert, springs, pins, detents, trigger group, safety and catches. 

Here are the lower parts laid out on the table. 

Each group will be addressed individually. 

Anna chose to install the trigger group first.  Here are the parts of the trigger group. 

From top and clockwise, you have the trigger spring, the hammer spring, the trigger, the disconnect, and the hammer.  There are two pins that hold the group in the lower and an additional spring to operate the disconnect. 

Here is Anna installing the trigger.

The disconnect sits on top of the trigger and both get pinned through the lower.  See the little circle directly above the trigger. 

Next is installation of the hammer. 

 Here you can see Anna driving home the pin that holds the hammer in place. Because this is a polymer lower, the pin/hole tolerances were very tight and required a little "persuasion" to drive the pins home. 

After the installation of the trigger and hammer, Anna installed the safety.  A relative easy install:  cock the hammer to lower the disconnect and push the safety through (from the left side).  

Next, the magazine catch.  This proved to be a bit of a problem because the formed slots were smaller than the metal catch part.  It required some modification to the lower to make the part fit. Initially, Anna tried to enlarge the dimensions of the slot with an electric nail file. 

This was replaced with a Dremel, which removed enough material to allow the catch to function properly in the lower.  Unfortunately, this added at least 15 minutes to the build time. 

When the grinding was done, this is what the part looked like. 

As can be seen in this picture, the bolt catch is also installed. This, too, is relatively easy to do but requires some patience when setting the roll pin. Sorry that we didn't capture it in pictures. It's a tight fit and cramped quarters. Take your time and tape the side of the lower (especially if it's aluminum) to prevent marring from the punch and hammer. 

Next, Anna installed the grip. It's actually very easy and involves one screw to hold it to the lower.  When attaching the grip, you need to install the safety detent and spring. The detent can be placed into the hole in the lower; position the spring in the hole in the grip. By slowly pushing the grip into place, the spring depresses the detent back up into the hole. It's a little tricky getting the grip screw in place because it's up inside the grip but you can use gravity to your advantage or a long nose plyers.  Here Anna has successfully mated up the spring and detent and is tightening the grip screw. 

Following the grip, the buffer tube, spring and stop were installed. This includes installing the buffer retention pin, and the rear latch pin detent and spring for the upper. Here you see the buffer tube installed, the rear latch pin is installed, the buffer retention pin is installed and she is preparing to insert the spring and buffer. Note: the hammer is in the uncocked position. Push it down to the cocked position prior to inserting the buffer and spring. 

With the final piece of the install being the front latch pin and detent, the lower is finally complete.  Here it is in it's finished state. 

The entire build took about an hour.  Minus the extra 15 minutes adjusting the magazine catch slot, the project actually took about 45 minutes.  Not bad for the first time (although she did get some coaching from somebody who has built out a lower.  And there are a number of really good tutorials on the web.  Here is one of them.  

http://www.thenewrifleman.com/how-to-build-a-lower-receiver/

Bottom line.  Even if you don't know anything about guns. Even though you may not be mechanically inclined, this project may seem daunting, but in fact is relatively easy. Before you start, familiarize yourself with the parts and where they go in the lower. Pay attention to the way the springs are installed (it matters).  And be patient. Some of these parts are very small.  When you shoot the detent out of the hole and you hear it land someplace in the room, be prepared to spend some time finding it.  

In Your Castle or In Your Yard

Castle Doctrine or Stand Your Ground?

In the aftermath of the George Zimmerman trial in Sanford, Florida, much has been said about "Stand your Ground" laws.  And how does it differ from the "Castle Doctrine".

A little history, 46 states have "self defense" laws that give limited rights to individuals to protect themselves against bodily harm up to and including the use of lethal force. Some of these laws are truly "Stand your Ground" laws similar to that in force in Florida today.  Others take a more limited "Castle Doctrine" approach.  What's the difference?

"Castle Doctrine is a common law doctrine stating that an individual has no duty to retreat when in his or her home, or "castle", and may use reasonable force, including deadly force, to defend his or her property, person, or another. Outside of the "castle", however, an individual has a duty to retreat, if able to do so, before using reasonable force. For example, if a homeowner is awakened by an intruder breaking in through the front door, the homeowner is not required to try to escape, but can use force, up to and including deadly force to repel the intruder, if a reasonable person would conclude that the intruder meant to inflict great bodily harm or death to the homeowner. Some states restrict the "castle" to the individual's home. Other states have extended the "castle" to include your place of work, and your vehicle (even if you don't own it).  If an individual was attacked in some other location, say a parking lot, the individual would be required to attempt to escape (retreat) before using deadly force. 

"Stand your Ground" laws remove the common law requirement to retreat outside of one's "castle". If the individual has a legal right to be at that location, and is not engaged in an unlawful activity, then the individual has no duty to retreat in order to defend himself or herself. 

Florida was the first state to enact a SYG law in 2005 and many states followed suit with SYG laws or CD laws. 
 

Time for Militias?

This pretty much says it all...

http://therealrevo.com/blog/?p=93066

I ask, sir, what is the militia? It is the whole people, except for a few public officials. — George Mason

Saturday, January 19 was gun appreciation day.  We were all very pleased and surprised at how many of our regular customers, and lots of new customers, came into the store that day to show their support.  Thanks to everyone who visited us that day and throughout this past week.

On the 19th I wore a T-shirt which was given to me by the local National Guard recruiter.  It was black with a cannon and a star on the front.  On the back it said "Come and take it".  

Until recently I had always thought of the National Guard as our militia, and indeed they are the formal, organized militia which is mobilized when things get tough in this country.  Then I read an article in the Concealed Carry magazine which reported on the 27th Annual Gun Rights Policy Conference held last September in Orlando, Florida, and it opened my eyes to a new definition of "militia".  I know it sounds boring, and I almost skipped over it, but I read the first paragraph and decided I should at least check it out.

Evidently, this conference is hosted annually by the Second Amendment Foundation, it's hosted in various cities around the country.  Here's the interesting part.  It's completely open to the public.  Anyone with an interest in gun rights may participate AND there is no fee to attend.

One interesting observation brought out in the conference is that polling currently shows support for the right to keep and bear arms is at its highest level in more than 30 years.

Another theme if the conference was the need for everyone to get personally involved in the fight, especially at the local level.  Small groups and individuals have a lot of influence on state and local politicians, and if you are doing what you should be doing, your local representatives should know you by name.  Even on a national level, individuals are important.  Communicate your desires to your senator and congressional representatives so they understand the depth of our commitment about these issues.

If you are interested in nullification of the gun ban laws in North Carolina, click this link:  https://www.change.org/petitions/north-carolina-general-assembly-nullify-all-federal-gun-control-laws?utm_source=supporter_message&utm_medium=email

The Second Amendment is for everyone.  Its advocates believe in an absolute human right to self-defense that transcends social or political barriers.  

Next year the GRPC (Gun Rights Policy Conference) will be held in Houston, TX if you would like to attend.

In light of what went on today, rather than comment, I just give you this quote from Thomas Jefferson in his Proposal for Virginia Constitution:

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms"

This week I would like to discuss water and the "rule of 3's".

Actually there are two rules of 3.  The first one has to do with what we need to live.  You can live 3 weeks without food.  (Some of us can live A LOT longer than that), 3 days without water, 3 hours without shelter (in a hypo- or hyper-thermic situation), and 3 minutes without oxygen.  To put this in realistic terms, if you have a power outage in the winter, and have a heat pump, it makes more sense to think about how you will keep your family warm than how you will save the food in your non-functioning freezer/refrigerator.  As Cody Lundin states in his very informative and funny book, "98.6 Degrees, or How to Keep Your Ass Alive", water and shelter are paramount to regulate your core body temperature.  In our area, winter is not so much of a problem if you can be indoors and out of the wind.  Summer is a different matter.  In our summer temps, without air-conditioning and without water, it's not going to be pretty.

Everyone who asks me how to begin to prepare for a "grid down" situation knows that I always say.  Start with your water.  A minimum to store is 1 gallon per day per person just for basic living.  Don't forget your animals, they will be useful as well as pets.  I have 4 dogs who collectively use 1 gallon per day.  So that means I need 4 or 5 gallons per day of potable water.  WHAT!  That's 150 gallons per month.  How can I possibly store that much, you ask?  You don't.

That brings us to the second rule of 3's.

I think it was an old Indian saying that you need 3 ways of doing something in order to be sure you can accomplish what you need.  (more if you can)

In the case of water, you might have rain barrels underneath your downspouts - you'd be amazed how fast a 55 gallon garbage can fills up.  You might turn off the intake valve to the hot water heater before the water becomes polluted, and then open the lowest faucets in your home to collect the water from the hot water tank.  Maybe you have a large bath tub or a jetted tub.  Plan on using a double layer of plastic drop cloth duct taped to the tub with the vents and drains duct taped beforehand.  Or just clean the tub with clorox and go for it. Or you could buy what's called a "Water Bob"  which is a large food grade plastic bladder that fits inside a normal sized tub.  Cost about $20.  Maybe you have a free flowing stream near your house, or a lake or swimming pool.  Some of this water you can use as-is for basic cleanliness and toilet flushing etc.  For drinking purposes, we need to go a little further down the path.

Most of those water sources will need to be purified somehow for drinking.  The simplest is boiling.  Bring a gallon of water to a full boil for 8 - 10 minutes.  Allow to cool unless you want to make coffee, tea, or cook or wash/rinse your dishes with it.

Next is chemical purification. Plain, unscented Clorox is a good and readily available method.  Eight drops per quart of water, shake well, and allow to stand for 30 minutes.  You can remove the chlorine smell/taste by using a filter pitcher like Pur or Britta (note:  they DO NOT remove bacteria or other impurities).  Swimming pool water MUST be filtered due to the shock and other chemicals in the water for long term use.

Next is filtering.  There are Berkey filters which can do 2 1/2 gallons in a very short time.  Each one can filter 5500 gallons of water before needing a filter change, but they can cost $200 or more.  There are personal water filters, such as the Life Straw which will filter water for one individual for about a year and cost only $20.  I have one of these for each member of our family.

As you can see, there are many things to consider when starting to plan for the worst, hope for the best.  Sometimes it's just a matter of thinking of easy solutions to difficult problems.  If you have questions, please come and see us at the store, or call/e-mail and I will contact you.  Our phone number is 336-944-3933, and our e-mail is patriotaims@gmail.com.

Anna